Why Search Records Relating to Japanese Americans Internment during World War II (WWII)?

The records on Japanese-American internees can provide a wealth of information for researchers and family historians. The records of particular interest, and highlighted here, are the:

War Relocation Authority (WRA) Records in Record Group (RG) 210.
These records contain personal descriptive information on all individuals who were evacuated from their homes and relocated to one of 10 relocation centers during
World War II. These records are searchable online, and we recommend it as the best place to start.
Proceed to the WRA page

WWII Alien Enemy Detention and Internment Case Files, Department of Justice (DOJ) in RG 60.
These case files generally document administrative proceedings by which alien enemies considered dangerous to the internal security of the U.S. were released, paroled, or
interned. There is an alphabetical index searchable online.
Proceed to the WWII Alien Enemy page

Ten War Relocation Centers were established in remote areas of the nation.
(Courtesy of the National Park Service).

Background to the Internment

The attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, launched a rash of fear about national security, especially on the West Coast. In February 1942, just two months after Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued
Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the evacuation and relocation of about 117,000 persons of Japanese ancestry, both citizens and aliens, from parts of
California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii, that were designated as
military areas.

Persons of Japanese ancestry were ordered first to assembly centers near their homes, and then were sent to one of 10 permanent relocation centers. The exclusion order
was finally revoked in December, 1944, and all relocation centers closed by 1946.

"A young evacuee of Japanese ancestry waits with the family baggage before leaving by bus for an assembly center in the spring of 1942." by Clem Albers, California, April 1942. (Photo No. 210-G-2A-6).

Compensation and Redress Case Files, Department of Justice (DOJ) in RG 60
A. The files from the Japanese American Evacuation Claims Act of July 2, 1948, contain approximately 26,550 claims for compensation from Japanese American
citizens who were removed from the West Coast during World War II for losses of
real and personal property.
Partial searches can be done online.

B. The files from the Office of the Redress Administration for restitution payments include claims from more than 82,219 people of Japanese ancestry.

Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) Records in RG 220.
These records reflect the Commission's 20 days of hearings and testimonies from more than 750 witnesses between July and December, 1981, nationwide, from people who had lived through the events of WWII. Descriptions of the records are online, as well as the entire
Commission report, Personal Justice Denied.Proceed to the Public Hearings and Testimonies page

Office of the Provost Marshal General (OPMG) Records in RG 389.
Among these records are cases of individuals' release from relocation centers, information about Japanese-American men eligible for military service, personal data cards, and more.Proceed to the Military Records page

By reviewing each of these sections, you can learn what NARA has in its holdings and steps you can do online. While images of case files and documents are not online, the searches you can perform in these record groups will prepare you for further research. You can then continue your research with records at the National Archives by visiting us in person, contacting us by phone or e-mail, or by hiring an independent researcher.

Next Step

We recommend that you start your search with the War Relocation Authority Records.
These records are in a database online, and as a source, contain information on the largest number of people.
Proceed to the War Relocation Authority Records